Antislipping attachment for ladders



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1.. R. BROWN ANTISLIPPING ATTACHMENT FOR LADDERS Filed Jan 28, 1938 Patented Jan. 31, 1939 UNITED STATES PATENT oEFlcE 3 Claims.

The invention relates to a new and improved device for holding the lower end of a ladder against slipping when placed against a building or the like, and 'the object of the invention is to provide an exceptionally simple and inexpen sive, easily attached, easily operable, and highly effective device of this character.

With the foregoing in View, the invention resides in the novel subject matter hereinafter described and claimed, the description being accomplished by reference to the accompanying drawing.

Fig. l is a side elevation of the lower portion of a ladder showing two of the anti-slipping devices carried by the stiles thereof.

Fig. 2 is a vertical sectional view on line 2--2 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is an enlarged vertical sectional view on line 3-3 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 4 is a perspective view of the bracket portion of one of the attachments.

A preferred construction has been shown and will be specifically described, with the understanding, however, that within the scope of the invention as claimed, minor variations may be made.

Two of the attachments are shown connected with the lower ends of the ladder stiles 5, but as both attachments are duplicates, a description of one will sulfice.

A one-piece metal strip 6 preferably formed from ordinary strap iron or steel, is provided to lie against either the inner or the outer side, or even one edge of the stile 5, said strip 6 hav ing openings l to receive screws, bolts or rivets 3 for attaching it to said stile. The upper and lower ends 9 and IU of the strip 5 are bent laterally in the same direction and are provided with spike-guiding openings H and I2 respectively. Preferably, the central portion of the strip 6 is provided with an additional opening it in which one end of a short tubular metal casing M is frictionally held or otherwise secured. While the outer end of the casing I4 is open, said casing is provided with an inner wall l5 having a central opening It. A detent ll having a rounded outer end I6, is slidable in the casing l4 and is provided with a stud l9 which passes slidably through the opening Hi, the free end of said stud being upset as at 20 to prevent sliding of the detent H from the casing. A coiled compression spring ll surrounds the stud l9, contacts at one of its ends with the end wall Iii, and contacts at its other end with the detent ll, said spring serving to project the detent until its rounded end l8 projects somewhat beyond the open outer end of the casing l4.

An anchoring spike 2! passes slidably through the openings. and I2 and is provided at its upper end with a foot plate 22 by means of which it may be readily raised and lowered. While the lower end 23 of this spike 2! is shown pointed, it could well be rounded or of other desired shape to facilitate forcing of said spike into the ground. Preferably, the spike 2! is of square cross section or other flat-sided form and the openings I l and I2 are similarly shaped, holding said spike against rotation. This spike extends across the open end of the casing l4 and is provided with upper and lower shallow sockets 24 and 25 coop erable with the rounded end I8 of the detent IT for the purpose of holding said spike yieldably in raised orlowered position. The downward movement of the spike is preferably limited by the foot plate 22 striking the upper laterally bent I end 9 of the metal strip 6, the upper socket 24 being then in position to receive the rounded end it of the detent H. The upward movement of the spike 2! may well be limited by a pin 25 driven through an opening therein in position to strike the lower side of the laterally bent strip end 9, the socket 25 being in position to engage the rounded, detent end 18 when said pin strikes said strip end.

It will be seen from the foregoing and the accompanying drawing that a simple and inexpensive device has been provided for carrying out the object of the invention. When the spikes are not needed, they are yieldably held in raised positions by the detent l7 and the lower socket 25. When these spikes are needed, however, to prevent ladder slippage, it is only necessary to force downwardly upon the foot plates 22, thereby forcing the spikes into the ground and allowing the detent I! to engage the upper sockets 24 for the purpose of holding said spikes in lowered position. An upward pull on the foot plates 22, either with the foot or by hand, will quickly and easily raise the spikes when required, and they will again be held in raised position by the detents I! and the lower sockets 25.

Excellent results are attainable from the details shown and described and they are, there-- fore, preferably followed. Attention, however, is again invited to the possibility of making variations within the scope of the invention as claimed.

I claim:

1. An anti-slipping attachment for a ladder, comprising an elongated metal strip to lie against a ladder stile and having openings to receive attaching fasteners, the upper and lower ends of said strip being provided with laterally projecting spike guides, a spike slidably engaged with said spike guides and disposed in outwardly spaced relation with said strip, and springpressed means confined between said spike and said strip and carried by one thereof for yieldably holding said spike in either raised or lowered position.

2. An anti-slipping attachment for a ladder, comprising an elongated metal strip to lie against a ladder stile and having openings toreceive attaching fasteners, the upper and lower ends of said strip being extended laterally in the same direction to provide two arms having free outer ends, said arms having vertically alined spikeguiding openings, said strip being provided between said arms with a short tubular projection extending laterally in the same direction as said arms, a spike slidable in said spike-guiding openings and extending across the outer end of said tubular projection, and a spring-pressed detent mounted in said tubular projection for holding said spike in raised or lowered position, said spike having shallow sockets cooperable with said detent.

3. An anti-slipping attachment for a ladder, comprising an elongated metal strip to lie against a ladder stile and having openings to receive attaching fasteners, the upper and lower ends of said strip being bent laterally in the same direction to provide arms having free outer ends, said arms having vertically alined spike-guiding openings, said strip being provided between said arms with an additional opening, a short tubular casing having one end secured in said additional opening, said tubular casing projecting laterally from said strip in the same direction as said arms, a spike slidablein said spike-guiding openings and extending across the outer end of said short tubular casing, and a spring-pressed detent mounted in said short tubular casing for holding said spike in raised or lowered position, said spike having shallow sockets cooperable with said detent.

LEON R. BROWN. 

